Spectral method simulations of light scattering by biological cells

The application of a new numerical technique, based on the spectral method, for describing light scattering by biological cells is reported. The spectral method is used to model scattering from individual cells, as well as scattering from large biological samples. The new algorithm is capable of resolving variations in the scattered signal with an intensity contrast of up to six orders of magnitude. The high accuracy of the proposed technique is illustrated by comparing results from existing models of scattering from simple objects.